The way I understand the situation from 'isellhondas' is Honda will take my damaged transmission, rebuild it, and put it another Ody that needs a new one. If this is correct, I will be getting a transmission that has failed somewhere along the way, and rebuilt. So tell me, what's the difference between another failed transmission and my original being rebuilt? Also, I've been told the rebuilts are done in Ohio. These are not being shipped back to Japan.
Does anyone know if the rebuilts actually have a "fix", or is the 2nd gear being replaced and an oil jet kit installed?
If the rebuilts are supposedly as good or better than the original, shouldn't Honda extend the warranty another 3 yrs. and 36K. Of course, if they generously extended it to 100K, that would be even better.
Well the factory is the factory be it in Japan or Ohio, is my point of view.
The trick is not to get sour on a car because you had a problem. Once you get sour, nothing will satisfy you or rejuvenate your positive outlook, so you have a mind game to work on as well as a transmission.
Reject the concept of "lemon". It is a made-up term with little scientific basis and holding onto that idea only makes things worse IMO.
The reconned transmission is, in fact, much more likely to work out than not. The odds are way in your favor, so that's the best way to look at it.
My opinion is that most serious mechanical defects show themselves quickly. If a complex unit is truly defective, it isn't going to last very long. So worrying about the next 100K miles seems, to me, sort of pointless. I'd worry more about the next 100 miles.
I believe we need Honda rep to explane how they define "Re-built or re-condition" to assure they are not fixing the broken one. As I remember the rep told me during the conversation in July, they exam the replced one, inspect it, replace the worn parts or suspect ill functional one, re-assembly it and run the test. One thing she can't confirm is where are those tranny that identified problematic. In theory, a fully tested tranny is more trustworthy than a brand new one since only basic and critical tests will be performed during the production to save cost. If the yeild is high, MFR don't waste the time and money to do uncessary and non-critical test during mass production. But reuse the problematic one is another story. Cost-wise, Honda may not benefit to fix the unit keep failing and pay the dealers to fix it after. They will rather to fix it before shipped. To rest the concern of ODY owners, Honda really need to clarify their term.
Usually means the parts are checked for factory tolerances and any parts that do not meet original factory tolerances are replaced with new parts that do meet these tolerances. The remanufactured units are then tested to see if the whole unit meets factory specifications. In theory the remanufactured parts should be as good as new. I do not know if this procedure applies to the transmissions used for Honda transmission replacement.
I currently own a 2001 Odyssey and just had my 4th, yes I said 4th, transmission installed(3 plus the original). Every 30,000 miles like clockwork it has gone out.I now have 90,000 miles on it and Honda refuses to extend my warranty beyond the 100,000 miles they extended it to originally.I have no choice but to unload it before I have to start shelling money out of my own pocket.
Never gonna buy a piece of JUNK Honda again, that's for sure!!!
I would still perfer a "new" transmission over a rebuilt/remanufactured transmission. Honda is doing what is cost effective for them.
Post #685 above, what caused the transmissions to fail? All 2nd gear failures? Maybe he knows (from his Honda service records) what caused this failure and is willing to share it with us.
I wonder in his case if it is left over metal parts from the cooling line/transmission cooler that work loose over time and get into the transmission causing these problems. Even when you flush out the cooler lines you can't be sure if something is still stuck in there.
Reguardless, Honda should give this van a special warranty for all of the trouble this person has gone through. 90k miles of driving with your fingers crossed isn't my idea of fun to drive.
You wrote: dat, your transmission should be under warranty and Honda should absolutely reimburse you for your rental car."
If I remember right rental car reimbursement is only offered to those who buy the extended warranty (to 00k). Not included in the 3/36 warranty. isellhondas would know for sure.
I have a 99 Ody. and was told today that it needed the 4th transmission. We have 116,000 on it and had the original replaced under an extended warranty at 58k. At 78K the replacement went out and was also replaced. So, it is not unheard of, but I do not wish to lay out any $ for a 4th one and will be fighting with Calif. shortly (or maybe court). Anyone have any luck with courts? If so, please reply to tzs13@aol.com as well as posting as I had major problems getting to this site and had to use another computer.
Seems if one transmission goes out, the next one will also. If a person is in the 98 % group with no problems, their Odyssey will probably last as long as the normal life expectancy for any Honda. Yes, I believe that some vehicle are just lemons but the vast majority will have NO problems.
into the dealership today for the transmission replacement. The "new" one came from a factory in OH. I was told they hesitate to call it a factory. Because of the sterile environment they say it's more like a laboratory. Who knows?!
I'm still waiting to hear what the warranty will be. When I do, I'll post.
Yes, I got a call today from the dealership confirming this. All new components will be placed in a used transmission housing. This was also stated in a previous post. Where the reconditioning is done remains a mystery---maybe it's top secret.....
Just got my 99 Ody van back and the transmission fluid leak this time was coming from the pressure switch mounted on the upper side of the transmission housing. When I talked to the tech, he told me that when they rebuild the trannys they do not overhaul the whole transmission, only the innards. So they installed a rebuilt 2K miles ago in my Ody with a pressure switch that was faulty. I will obviously be selling this vehicle before it hits 100K miles..........
From day 1 I felt the trans shift roughly, and sure enough at 50k it was consistant enough that I was able to take the service mgr for a drive to prove it. Here I am again, 30k later, with it in the shop for another trans. Now the good news is that I paid out the wazoo for the extended warranty, and I am glad I did cause it's being done under warrantee, the bad news is that I have a rolling headache and know I am doomed to more pain, and the next one will be on me. I can trade it in, but NEVER again will I buy a Honda headache. The service manager was at least honest enough to tell me that all their cars have trans problems!!! What a piece of crap this car is check out this forum about the Odessey also at :www.autofan.com
with the rebuilt trans. The whining noise seems to be gone. I did notice a couple of times when I put it in reverse that it made a clunking noise, but it didn't happen every time. I just went out to start it, put it in reverse and no noise.
On another note: Has anyone had problems w/rear vent windows rattling when open. If so, can it be corrected? I also have one vent that makes a noise (again, not all the time). Service dept. said they tried to lub, but it did nothing. I know the '01's had problems w/noisy vent motors because I had had both of mine replaced.
I own a 2003 oddy with 22000 miles - trans severely hesitates around 40 mph - more than just hunting for a gear - vehicle seems to shimmy and vibrate. Have been to the dealer three times - told it was an EGR problem - valve replaced three times - trans still has same issue. Has anyone else experienced similar trans problems and what, if any, resolution did you find?
My 99 Odyssey has been great since I purchased it new in 1999 ...but recently the "check engine" light came on. Brought it in; was told the computer indicated a problem with the torque converter in the transmission. Any idea what I should do? The check engine light keeps coming on and I have read through hundreds of posts and am worried that I will be told to get a new transmission. We are over (just) 100,000 miles now, of course.
I have a 2003 Honda Odyssey with 15K and started having slippage about 1K ago. Took it into the dealer for the 15K checkup and they said it was just the fluid. Of course it was not just the fluid and I expect to be taking it back as soon as I get a chance. I am just amazed how this issue has stayed out of the press so far. I did my homework researching this vehicle before I bought it because I intend on owning it for 12 years. I saw nothing in my research that implied that they (Honda) was having any problems with the transmissions on their newest vans(2002-03 models) Is it because they have better public relations that we are not hearing about this in the magazines? Do we not want to believe that Honda (or any Japanese company)could put out a vehicle with such a POS transmission? I don't think that this is an isolated incident with just a small percentage of vehicles with so much being posted on line.
The local news types are of an age where Hondas and othere foreign cars are perceived as definitely better than anything else, because that's what they learned as they matured. When there's a recall for GM or Ford the local talkers twitch their head, curl their lip, and talk louder and clearer. On a recall for foreign brand (HOnda/Camry), if it's on the local news, it's softer voice, quickly read with no great emphasis on words and ON TO THE NEXT STORY!!!
I just pulled a 1,700 lbs tent trailer up to the Sierras and back with ease in my '04 Oddy - easier than with my V8 Ford F150. And I don't have a tranny cooler as some would recommend.
The information I got from my local Honda mechanic is that the weight I'm pulling doesn't require a tranny cooler.
Is there anything in writting where they draw the line at towing without the cooler?
FYI; a tranny cooler cost around $600 by my estimate.
1500 lbs seems to be the number I remember when I researched the van which was about the same as the Windstar and Dodge versions. This may be the point at which trailer brakes are recommended as well, although I think it was even lower - just 1000 lbs.
New stuff like the new Toyota and the new Nissan had about half the cost to add the tow package and I was told it was because they did not require a tranny cooler - only hitch and wiring was why price was $500 to $600 rather than $1200 for Honda.
Anyone know if the trans was reworked with the new sheetmetal etc? Still listed as a 5-spd and mates up to same basic engine block so it could be the same, but I have no clue. Thanks...
My 2002 Odyssey 22000 miles was working great until I took it in for the recall. They said it did not need to have anything replaced except the new part involved in the recall. Now, when driving 54mph the van jumps, or stutters. What is the problem? I want to get it fixed, but with 4 little children in car seats, I can't drop it off and get back home with the children. They will not give me a loaner van, they said their insurance will not cover it. I have the 7 year honda care warranty. Any suggestions on how to approach them about this. I am affraid I will take it in and they will say : we drove it and could not detect any problems. Also, is this a safety problem. How would I contact Honda Corporate?
I give you my condolances that they will not give you a loaner.
I would also point out how WORTHLESS an extended care warranty is while a car is covered under the existing warranty. I would ask for your money back and put some of it towards a rental.
I've heard some mention a refurbished tranny is better than an original - huh?! Well from what I read here, it seems many of the refurbished trannies are often sent back, which would indicate that the bandaid that is being applied shows there are problems beyond the just a few parts that are being replaced.
My 99 Ody has been perfect, no problems whatsoever until the check engine light went on recently, followed by the TCL light coming on intermittently. I took it in to Honda and they now say I need a new transmission ... and of course I am past the 100,000 warranty extension, so I need to pay for the entire thing ($5000+/-)!!!
I have spent hours and hours reading through the posts in this Transmission Section and seem to remember that I saw somewhere that several of you were able to get American Honda to pay part of this transmission cost even if you were past the 100,000 mile mark. Can anyone help me find those posts, or if you were one of those people, will you post again to tell me what you did to convince American Honda to pick up part of this cost?
I am absolutely LIVID. I sold a Dodge Grand Caravan and bought this Honda precisely because I was supposed to have a reliable vehicle. I could have spent almost $9000 less for a Chrysler Town & Country, but bought the Ody because I did not want to have major mechanical problems. In all my years of vehicle ownership, I have never, ever had to have a transmission replaced ... and the idea that this has happened in a Honda vehicle is just unbelievable to me. I also think that since Honda knew they put bad transmissions into these vehicles (and mine is one that is covered by the extended warranty), that they should not have put a limit on how long they would cover the transmission!
Thanks in advance for prompt responses. My van is sitting at Honda Service right now and I need to figure out what to do before I call American Honda!
I guess you are trying to be humorous, but right now I am not in the mood for jokes.
I am in shock that I need a new transmission. The van has not hesitated or sputtered or skipped at all. The only symptoms were the check engine light and then the intermittent TCS light ... I am absolutely livid that I am expected to pay $5000 for a new transmission on a Honda vehicle.
Honda has based their reputation on reliable, "go forever vehicles" ... well, not exactly! My Dodge Caravan went longer than this ... in fact both of them went longer than this!
Still hoping for a SERIOUS response from anyone who got American Honda to cover at least partial costs for a new transmission when past the 100,000 mile deadline.
Thanks in advance and sorry that my sense of humor is inactive right now.
I saw a post from you dated in August of 2004 that stated that your transmission went out after the 100,000 mile deadline and you were able to get yours replaced at little or no cost. Will you e-mail me, either on this list or privately (scmelvin@msn.com) and let me know how you accomplished this? Did you have to contact American Honda?
My van is sitting at the Honda dealership right now and they are waiting for instructions from me.
I have a 2003 Ody purchased new and at 40,000 miles took it in for the recall eval and was not allowed to drive it off the lot. I'm still waiting for the new transmission to be delivered (been a week now). Should I expect any surprises? Not enought trannies to go around? Are the replacement transmissions significantly better or can I expect future problems?
I had to call American Honda without responses from this Board, but did find enough people who posted here that did get replacements after misssing the mileage deadline so at least I knew that Honda will *sometimes* stand by their product.
I am very pleased to say that American Honda 1-800-999-1009 was extremely polite, pleasant and seemingly concerned about my problem. I spoke with Ted. He said I would receive a call from a Regional Case Manager within 24-48 hours, but because my van was in the shop and I was having to use a borrowed vehicle, he walked my request over to the Case Management department. The one thing I did have to do was state clearly what I expected Honda to do for me ... and that was to actually say "I expect American Honda to replace this transmission at their cost". Apparently these calls are recorded for their records.
Within 1 hour I had a call from Ron, Regional Case Manager and he immediately told me that American Honda was prepared to replace the part at their cost if I would pay the labor, not to exceed $500.00. He told me I could accept the offer immediately or call him back. I chose to call him back so I could look once more at the posts on this site and also I wanted to call my mechanic to be sure this was a good deal (it sounded like it was). This offer seemed to be in line with what others on this site have received, but because of the problems others have had with their "new" transmissions, I did ask Ron what type of warranty I would have with the new transmission and he stated I would have 3 years, 36,000 miles.
I think this sounds pretty good, although I would think even more of Honda if they stood by these vehicles for the life of the car. That is what their reputation is based on, after all ... buy a Honda, keep it forever.
My part has been ordered and my van is supposed to be ready in a few days. Then I will start watching for that check engine light to come on again .... hope not!
This is a great site, and thanks, Steve, for the advice on how to do a more efficient search.
At some point, components wear out. While certainly a tranny should not crap out at 40K or 50K, once you are at 110K, they can go, even on a Honda or Toyota. Once thing we never usually hear was if the maintenance was done, and how it was driven.
The ody is a heavy vehicle, especially when loaded up. If you drive at high speeds when loaded up, and never change the fluid/filter, don't stop before shifting from reverse to drive, the tranny might not go 150K without wearing out.
The Ody seems to have a flaw that Chrysler had: they used a car based platform/engine/tranny and basically "supersized" it, and the trannys were probably a little undersized to handle the stress.
Also, it isn't that uncommon for reman units to have some issues, but if they do, they usually fail quickly.
Sounds like Honda is treating you well. 100,000 miles used to be the life of a car not that many years ago, and most manufacturers won't replace a transmission after 60k, much less 109k.
I think you should throw a couple of pizzas in with the $500 labor charge!
I have recently been doing a LOT of reading about the Odessy. I have almost always driven American cars/vans, and I have NEVER had a transmission or enging problem until well over 100,000 miles. This past Sunday, I went to the local Honda dealer, and got to sit in an unlocked, unattended '04 Odessy. I really liked it, and the coming '05 is touted to be even better. But, after reading about all these problems, I'm now undecided. My '99 Montana with 81,000 miles just seems to run better and better. Thanks.
Yes, I do feel that Honda has treated me well. On the other hand, I expected nothing less. My family has owned Honda vehicles for years and has kept them forever and ever and ever with no major problems at all. I reluctantly switched to Dodge Caravans when I needed a minivan, only because Honda did not make one. I was thrilled when the Odyssey finally rivaled the Grand Caravan and paid the full suggested retail price without hesitation because of the Honda Quality that I had always enjoyed. I intend to write a letter to American Honda to thank them for their goodwill and in spite of this transmission failure, I will continue to recommend Honda to all of my friends. In fact, because of the way this transmission failure was handled, I will recommend them even more enthusiastically. I can say honestly that there were 7 Odysseys sold just because I was so happy with mine, so I did help Honda gross about $210,000, not including my purchase, which brings the total to about $240,000.
And, to set the record straight, my Odyssey has been maintained to the letter from the very beginning. Oil changed each and every 3,000 miles, all maintenance done per the owners' manual; all warranty items serviced immediately (although I somehow never got the information about the transmission); I certainly do not throw it into reverse before stopping; I do not haul anything with it or over load it ... I use my F-350 Dually for that stuff! Cosmetically, it is washed and vacuumed every week (very particular husband when it comes to cars) ... so in no way do I feel responsible for the transmission wearing out.
I stand by my earlier statement ... I expect Honda to make a better vehicle. This is what they have based their reputation on ... that we can figure on keeping their vehicles forever.
As a side note, the last payment on the car loan will be debited from my account tomorrow. It's almost as if the van knew exactly when to decide to fall apart. And, the $500 I will be charged for the labor on the new transmission ... that is because I just found out that I was going to receive a $500 bonus. So much for using that $500 for something fun...
I don't know what most people here define reliability but have to point out the data is from statistics not absolute. More precisely say is you got less chance to have problem and need became friends of your local dealer servcice departmant when chooing better reliable one in records. The most reliable model will have lemon and least reliable has some never breaking down. Buying a Honda or Toyota can't promise you won't have any problem in 10 years 150k miles. That is a fact and not what you expect.
Car is a very complicate machine. It contains thousands of components to work in synch and any weak part could cause problem. Honda admit their design flaw by recall and extend warranty and follow it better than the US rivals. Some said they change oil every 3000 miles and wash every week. But the maintainence is one factor and there are more factors and should include driving habit and living environment. People live in hilly or high mountain, and metro with short trip and heavy traffic have more labor on the power tran than other area. Some like to drive fast and brake hard, so it will prone having problem with easy on and stop in theory.
I am the one mention I prefer to have a tested rebuilt one than a untested new one. The key is the rebuilt one should have new critical components. We are talking about parts and design issue, not manufacturing problem. People has mind set that new one is better than rebuilt one. If that is the case, there shouldn't be any faulty one since they all start with new. So the problem start with a new one. If Honda can find problem in faulty tranny, they will make sure they found the root cause and fix it before place it into replacement pool. One more trip back, they have to pay the replacement. Delaer is not part of Honda manufacturer. Any warrenty service and recall, cost Honda to pay the dealer service dept to fix and replace.
I think Honda is standing beside their product considering your vehicle is 6 years old and has 109,000 miles. Do you know what Chrysler would probably tell you if you went to them with that many miles and at that age and wanted them to pay for a new transmission?
On the other hand scmelvin spent full MSRP for the Odyssey and likely could have bought an equivalent Grand Caravan for $3-5K less. So, did she save any money in the long run by buying the Odyssey? It still had transmission problems which are causing downtime and out of pocket money, even though Honda is footing part of the bill.
If you want to keep a car to (relatively) high miles such as 110K+, you have to expect/budget for repairs.
A more valid comparision is current value. How much is the Ody worth now vs. the GC that started out 3-5K cheaper.
Hondas reputation (really built on fairly simple cars like Civics and older Accords) is somewhat of a double edged sword. If a Caravan or Windstar eats a tranny at 110K, people almost feel like they were lucky to have one make it that far. With Honda, people get irate that they had to do a repair before 200K.
I am still likely to buy an "05 before year end (supply/demand willing), and certainly hope whatever upgrades they have made to the tranny truly fix the problem. If not, hopefully the issues arise early enough to get the extended warranty.
Maybe thats what Honda should do. Add a kia-like 10/100 powertrain warranty specificially for the tranny.
The GC cost about 3-5K less than a Honda Ody plus the $500.00 that she is paying now for a transmission replacement that will probably fail soon after being installed according to the people here that have had multiple replacement transmissions replaced over and over again. Hold off on throwing that pizza party, you might not be that happy in the end.
Sounds like Kia quality at full MSRP. No offense to the owners of KIA's. I don't think that 100K miles for a car today is all that much. Better build quality should result in a longer life for the vehicles.
People need to abandon Honda for a while until they get this transmission problem solved.
Please try to ignore the fact I happen to sell Hondas if you can because I'm just curious and I would be asking the same question if you had been talking about a different make or model.
You say you were LIVID because your transmission needed to be replaced at 109,000 miles.
At what mileage would you have not been livid and simply accepted the failure as bad luck or normal wear and tear? 150,000 miles? 250,000 miles?
I ask this because 109,000 miles is a LOT of driving! Do you expect a car maker to warranty a tansmission for as long as you own the car?
It wasn't THAT many years ago when people would have been tickled to get over 100K without a major component failing.
I am glad to hear that I work for a company that was willing to go WAY beyond the warranty period to satisfy a customer and I'm glad you had a happy ending to your story!
Why did Honda extend the transmission warranty to 100K? Looks to me that there is a problem and that's why they extended the warranty. I believe that Honda "almost" did the right thing for Susan. The $500.00 labor charge is bogus, that just helps offset Honda's cost of replacement.
It does not cost Honda 5-6K for the replacement transmission. That is what they would charge you is you were paying to have this work done. Dealers parts are always marked up over 100% of what they pay for them. What is the real cost to Honda for this replacement?
Susan said she paid 9K more for this Honda over a GC. Now she has paid 9.5K more then the GC, I can see why she is LIVID, it's her money!
Comments
Does anyone know if the rebuilts actually have a "fix", or is the 2nd gear being replaced and an oil jet kit installed?
If the rebuilts are supposedly as good or better than the original, shouldn't Honda extend the warranty another 3 yrs. and 36K. Of course, if they generously extended it to 100K, that would be even better.
The trick is not to get sour on a car because you had a problem. Once you get sour, nothing will satisfy you or rejuvenate your positive outlook, so you have a mind game to work on as well as a transmission.
Reject the concept of "lemon". It is a made-up term with little scientific basis and holding onto that idea only makes things worse IMO.
The reconned transmission is, in fact, much more likely to work out than not. The odds are way in your favor, so that's the best way to look at it.
My opinion is that most serious mechanical defects show themselves quickly. If a complex unit is truly defective, it isn't going to last very long. So worrying about the next 100K miles seems, to me, sort of pointless. I'd worry more about the next 100 miles.
Never gonna buy a piece of JUNK Honda again, that's for sure!!!
Post #685 above, what caused the transmissions to fail? All 2nd gear failures? Maybe he knows (from his Honda service records) what caused this failure and is willing to share it with us.
I wonder in his case if it is left over metal parts from the cooling line/transmission cooler that work loose over time and get into the transmission causing these problems. Even when you flush out the cooler lines you can't be sure if something is still stuck in there.
Reguardless, Honda should give this van a special warranty for all of the trouble this person has gone through. 90k miles of driving with your fingers crossed isn't my idea of fun to drive.
If I remember right rental car reimbursement is only offered to those who buy the extended warranty (to 00k). Not included in the 3/36 warranty. isellhondas would know for sure.
Yes, I believe that some vehicle are just lemons but the vast majority will have NO problems.
I'm still waiting to hear what the warranty will be. When I do, I'll post.
Steve, Host
"Anecdotal" is NOT a put-down. All it means is that the "evidence" has not been subjected to scientific or statistical analysis.
On another note: Has anyone had problems w/rear vent windows rattling when open. If so, can it be corrected? I also have one vent that makes a noise (again, not all the time). Service dept. said they tried to lub, but it did nothing. I know the '01's had problems w/noisy vent motors because I had had both of mine replaced.
Thanks
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The information I got from my local Honda mechanic is that the weight I'm pulling doesn't require a tranny cooler.
Is there anything in writting where they draw the line at towing without the cooler?
FYI; a tranny cooler cost around $600 by my estimate.
New stuff like the new Toyota and the new Nissan had about half the cost to add the tow package and I was told it was because they did not require a tranny cooler - only hitch and wiring was why price was $500 to $600 rather than $1200 for Honda.
Also, is this a safety problem.
How would I contact Honda Corporate?
I give you my condolances that they will not give you a loaner.
I would also point out how WORTHLESS an extended care warranty is while a car is covered under the existing warranty. I would ask for your money back and put some of it towards a rental.
I've heard some mention a refurbished tranny is better than an original - huh?! Well from what I read here, it seems many of the refurbished trannies are often sent back, which would indicate that the bandaid that is being applied shows there are problems beyond the just a few parts that are being replaced.
I have spent hours and hours reading through the posts in this Transmission Section and seem to remember that I saw somewhere that several of you were able to get American Honda to pay part of this transmission cost even if you were past the 100,000 mile mark. Can anyone help me find those posts, or if you were one of those people, will you post again to tell me what you did to convince American Honda to pick up part of this cost?
I am absolutely LIVID. I sold a Dodge Grand Caravan and bought this Honda precisely because I was supposed to have a reliable vehicle. I could have spent almost $9000 less for a Chrysler Town & Country, but bought the Ody because I did not want to have major mechanical problems. In all my years of vehicle ownership, I have never, ever had to have a transmission replaced ... and the idea that this has happened in a Honda vehicle is just unbelievable to me. I also think that since Honda knew they put bad transmissions into these vehicles (and mine is one that is covered by the extended warranty), that they should not have put a limit on how long they would cover the transmission!
Thanks in advance for prompt responses. My van is sitting at Honda Service right now and I need to figure out what to do before I call American Honda!
Susan
;-)
how long is a tranny supposed to last anyways?
I am in shock that I need a new transmission. The van has not hesitated or sputtered or skipped at all. The only symptoms were the check engine light and then the intermittent TCS light ... I am absolutely livid that I am expected to pay $5000 for a new transmission on a Honda vehicle.
Honda has based their reputation on reliable, "go forever vehicles" ... well, not exactly! My Dodge Caravan went longer than this ... in fact both of them went longer than this!
Still hoping for a SERIOUS response from anyone who got American Honda to cover at least partial costs for a new transmission when past the 100,000 mile deadline.
Thanks in advance and sorry that my sense of humor is inactive right now.
My van is sitting at the Honda dealership right now and they are waiting for instructions from me.
Thanks in advance.
Susan Melvin
scmelvin@msn.com
Good luck!
Steve, Host
I am very pleased to say that American Honda 1-800-999-1009 was extremely polite, pleasant and seemingly concerned about my problem. I spoke with Ted. He said I would receive a call from a Regional Case Manager within 24-48 hours, but because my van was in the shop and I was having to use a borrowed vehicle, he walked my request over to the Case Management department. The one thing I did have to do was state clearly what I expected Honda to do for me ... and that was to actually say "I expect American Honda to replace this transmission at their cost". Apparently these calls are recorded for their records.
Within 1 hour I had a call from Ron, Regional Case Manager and he immediately told me that American Honda was prepared to replace the part at their cost if I would pay the labor, not to exceed $500.00. He told me I could accept the offer immediately or call him back. I chose to call him back so I could look once more at the posts on this site and also I wanted to call my mechanic to be sure this was a good deal (it sounded like it was). This offer seemed to be in line with what others on this site have received, but because of the problems others have had with their "new" transmissions, I did ask Ron what type of warranty I would have with the new transmission and he stated I would have 3 years, 36,000 miles.
I think this sounds pretty good, although I would think even more of Honda if they stood by these vehicles for the life of the car. That is what their reputation is based on, after all ... buy a Honda, keep it forever.
My part has been ordered and my van is supposed to be ready in a few days. Then I will start watching for that check engine light to come on again .... hope not!
This is a great site, and thanks, Steve, for the advice on how to do a more efficient search.
Susan Melvin
The ody is a heavy vehicle, especially when loaded up. If you drive at high speeds when loaded up, and never change the fluid/filter, don't stop before shifting from reverse to drive, the tranny might not go 150K without wearing out.
The Ody seems to have a flaw that Chrysler had: they used a car based platform/engine/tranny and basically "supersized" it, and the trannys were probably a little undersized to handle the stress.
Also, it isn't that uncommon for reman units to have some issues, but if they do, they usually fail quickly.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I think you should throw a couple of pizzas in with the $500 labor charge!
Steve, Host
And, to set the record straight, my Odyssey has been maintained to the letter from the very beginning. Oil changed each and every 3,000 miles, all maintenance done per the owners' manual; all warranty items serviced immediately (although I somehow never got the information about the transmission); I certainly do not throw it into reverse before stopping; I do not haul anything with it or over load it ... I use my F-350 Dually for that stuff! Cosmetically, it is washed and vacuumed every week (very particular husband when it comes to cars) ... so in no way do I feel responsible for the transmission wearing out.
I stand by my earlier statement ... I expect Honda to make a better vehicle. This is what they have based their reputation on ... that we can figure on keeping their vehicles forever.
As a side note, the last payment on the car loan will be debited from my account tomorrow. It's almost as if the van knew exactly when to decide to fall apart. And, the $500 I will be charged for the labor on the new transmission ... that is because I just found out that I was going to receive a $500 bonus. So much for using that $500 for something fun...
Susan Melvin
Car is a very complicate machine. It contains thousands of components to work in synch and any weak part could cause problem. Honda admit their design flaw by recall and extend warranty and follow it better than the US rivals. Some said they change oil every 3000 miles and wash every week. But the maintainence is one factor and there are more factors and should include driving habit and living environment. People live in hilly or high mountain, and metro with short trip and heavy traffic have more labor on the power tran than other area. Some like to drive fast and brake hard, so it will prone having problem with easy on and stop in theory.
I am the one mention I prefer to have a tested rebuilt one than a untested new one. The key is the rebuilt one should have new critical components. We are talking about parts and design issue, not manufacturing problem. People has mind set that new one is better than rebuilt one. If that is the case, there shouldn't be any faulty one since they all start with new. So the problem start with a new one. If Honda can find problem in faulty tranny, they will make sure they found the root cause and fix it before place it into replacement pool. One more trip back, they have to pay the replacement. Delaer is not part of Honda manufacturer. Any warrenty service and recall, cost Honda to pay the dealer service dept to fix and replace.
A more valid comparision is current value. How much is the Ody worth now vs. the GC that started out 3-5K cheaper.
Hondas reputation (really built on fairly simple cars like Civics and older Accords) is somewhat of a double edged sword. If a Caravan or Windstar eats a tranny at 110K, people almost feel like they were lucky to have one make it that far. With Honda, people get irate that they had to do a repair before 200K.
I am still likely to buy an "05 before year end (supply/demand willing), and certainly hope whatever upgrades they have made to the tranny truly fix the problem. If not, hopefully the issues arise early enough to get the extended warranty.
Maybe thats what Honda should do. Add a kia-like 10/100 powertrain warranty specificially for the tranny.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Sounds like Kia quality at full MSRP. No offense to the owners of KIA's. I don't think that 100K miles for a car today is all that much. Better build quality should result in a longer life for the vehicles.
People need to abandon Honda for a while until they get this transmission problem solved.
I expect more if I have to pay full/over MSRP!
You say you were LIVID because your transmission needed to be replaced at 109,000 miles.
At what mileage would you have not been livid and simply accepted the failure as bad luck or normal wear and tear? 150,000 miles? 250,000 miles?
I ask this because 109,000 miles is a LOT of driving! Do you expect a car maker to warranty a tansmission for as long as you own the car?
It wasn't THAT many years ago when people would have been tickled to get over 100K without a major component failing.
I am glad to hear that I work for a company that was willing to go WAY beyond the warranty period to satisfy a customer and I'm glad you had a happy ending to your story!
It does not cost Honda 5-6K for the replacement transmission. That is what they would charge you is you were paying to have this work done. Dealers parts are always marked up over 100% of what they pay for them. What is the real cost to Honda for this replacement?
Susan said she paid 9K more for this Honda over a GC. Now she has paid 9.5K more then the GC, I can see why she is LIVID, it's her money!